Mentees

What are the benefits of being mentored in the backcountry?

The benefits of mentorship are proven in professional and academic settings - so why not in the mountains?

Having a mentor is like having a blueprint for where you want to end up, and a support system to direct you there. Mentorship has great potential to develop your technical skills, but it can also teach you more nuanced things about developing confidence in the backcountry and in life. Mentorship is not a replacement for formal guiding or training, but an opportunity to hone your skills in a safe and trusting environment.

We believe mentorship is a holistic, intimate, multi-directional and trusting partnership founded on mutual respect between mentor and mentee. As a mentee, you have the opportunity to create a meaningful and enriching connection with another experienced mountain athlete, while also growing your expertise in the backcountry.

am i a good fit as a mentee?

A mentee is a woman who is interested in further developing her skills in the backcountry alongside a mentor. An ideal mentee should:

Own the necessary equipment to participate in their respective mentorship sport (i.e. a touring setup, skins, beacon, probe, and shovel for backcountry skiing mentorship).

Have already completed an AST1 course (if you are applying for backcountry skiing or splitboarding mentorship). This is a firm prerequisite and unfortunately we cannot accept applicants who do not have the necessary safety training.

Have at least 3 realistic and tangible goals that can be achieved within a mentorship season.

Be able to commit to at least one mentorship session per month for the duration of the season. It takes time, energy, and effort to connect and build a lasting relationship with your mentor.

We strive to cater to women of varying skill levels and experience. We encourage women of all ability levels to apply and will take this into consideration when matching mentorship pairs.

what is my role as a mentee?

As a mentee, we expect you to honour and value this opportunity by putting as much effort as possible into developing your relationship with your mentor.

We encourage mentees to apply with specific season objectives in mind that they can accomplish with the help and guidance of their mentor. Being goal-oriented structures the time you spend with your mentor and helps them understand what you are seeking out of the program.

Mentorships are mentee-driven. We expect mentees to be pro-active about contacting their mentor and setting up mentorship sessions at the mentor's convenience. Please remember that mentors volunteer their valuable time to give back and share knowledge - it is important to respect her time.

how can i apply to be a mentee?

We will be accepting applications for our Winter 2018/19 season in October 2018. Please subscribe to our eNewsletter for updates on when our applications open!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@mountainmentors.org.